Wednesday, 18 June 2008

Christmas in Erie PA

This past weekend, Jill and the boys and I traveled to Erie PA for the Mid-West Tool Collectors meeting. It was a short drive for a change - only 4 hours each way.

The usual suspects were there - Jim Leamy, Paul Hamler, Patrick Leach, Don Rosebrook and Martin Donnelly to name a few. I also had the pleasure of finally meeting Roy Underhill. He gave a talk on Saturday night. Early in the show he was walking around in the tool display and demo area and I had to do a triple take to make sure it was him - he was not wearing his hat.

Paul Hamler is just finishing up what I believe is his last set of miniature planes - a Sandusky Center wheel plow. There were several different configurations - Ebony with ivory arms, Rosewood with ivory arms and even a few solid ivory versions. It was a little overwhelming trying to keep track of them all - and when Paul sent me this photo a week ago - I missed “it”.



On Saturday morning, Riley walked over to me at my bench and handed me a small bubble wrapped package. He said “Happy Fathers Day dad”. As I unwrapped it - I found myself holding a very small African Blackwood bodied, left-handed Center wheel plow. Riley answered my question even before I had a chance to ask it - “I got it for a buck”.

I knew something was up, and judging from the smiling faces around me - their plan had worked.

The plane is magnificent to say the least, and if it you left out familiar objects to give a sense of scale - it could pass for a full sized plane. Paul, my deepest thanks for this stunning and personal tool.

Here are a few photos of the pair of left-handed center wheel plows.






And a few shots to try to give some sense of scale. The rebate plane is 1/2" wide and 3-3/4" long.





And some detail shots as well.







That little brass thing the skate is sitting on... one of the bronze buttons I insert into an infill cap iron.

Paul was also delivering some of his scraper plane inserts and gave a talk on Friday night about its history and evolution. As a fellow toolmaker, it was very interesting to see how it evolved, the prototypes and those “aha” moments that happen at the weirdest times. The spring is the (brilliant) key to this insert - and turns it into an elegant and highly functional tool. I can’t wait to get a No.6 so I can use it.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Konrad,
Great Boxwood plane, it's like the albino version of your 'regular' planes. Obviously there is nothing 'regulr' about your planes.

So you don't have a No.6? I guess you really wouldn't need one with your own private stock at your disposal.

Another great plane Konrad!!

Take care,
Michael

25 June 2008 at 08:48  
Blogger Konrad said...

Thanks Michael.

No - I don't have a No.6 I do have an early No.8 which was one of the first 3 planes I ever purchased. It is a great plane - but I have gotten a bit addicted to the infill version.

Best wishes,
Konrad

25 June 2008 at 12:07  

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